Worker Quits Martin Job Over Summit

October 17, 1986|By Susan G. Strother of The Sentinel Staff

A contract employee at Martin Marietta Orlando Aerospace who was making $30 an hour as a design engineer publicly resigned Thursday, saying he was convinced the United States ''did not bargain in good faith'' during arms talks with the Soviets last weekend in Iceland.

Mark Swaney, 33, appeared at an Orlando news conference hastily arranged by Peace Works, a group of area peace activists. After reading from two pages of handwritten notes, Swaney phoned Martin Marietta's Orlando operation on Kirkman Road and officially resigned, a Martin spokesman later confirmed.

''Sunday was a turning point,'' Swaney said, adding that Oct. 12 also was his son's 6th birthday. ''I didn't expect much from the summit, but I was shocked, angered and upset that the agreement to virtually eliminate nuclear weapons . . . was thrown away, trashed for the sake of SDI.''

Phil Giaramita, a Martin spokesman, confirmed that Swaney had been doing unclassified work on one of Martin's most lucrative contracts -- the LANTIRN navigation and targeting system for Air Force fighter planes. Swaney's work at Martin was arranged through Butler Service Group Inc., a company that provides Martin with contract workers. Swaney also has resigned from Butler.

Martin Marietta, one of the country's largest defense contractors, is based in Bethesda, Md. The Federation of American Scientists said Martin has received more than $55.8 million in SDI contracts from the government.

In Orlando the company conducts some SDI-related work, but the majority of its local operations are not related to the weapons shield proposed by President Reagan.

Swaney said he had not spoken out earlier because he was enamored of the high salaries available in the industry.

The contract he was working on was to be completed by the first of next year.